Filing system.



c. B. sTILLwE'LL.

me SYSTEM; APPLIOATI'bH FILED MAR. 26, 1912.

FIL

Patented July 8, 1913.

2 SHEETS-BREE! 1.

Rm 7 Ti Nu war m a /JW E w A5 C. B. STILLWELL.

FILING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED MA1L26,1912,

R o T N E v Patented July 8, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

CLAUDE B. ST\\ LWELL Ail/:1: ATTORNEY WITNESSES 6M CLAUDE B. STILLWELLOF SAVANNAH, GEORGIA.

FIDIN G SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 8, 1913.

Application filed March 26, 1912. Serial No. 686,421.

7 '0 all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLAUDE B. S'rniLwnLL, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing in Savannah, Georgia, have invented certainImprovements in Filing Systems, of which the following is aspecification.

The object of'my invention is to-provide means of indexing, filing anddistributing papers, cards, catalogues, pamphlets, folders, and the like(hereinafter for convenience generally referred to as a card) quickly,systematically and in such manner as to permit instantaneous access tothem when reference thereto is required. This object I attain in themanner hereinafter set forth, reference being had'to the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 is a sectional view of a filing -case orcabinet constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is aperspective view and Fig. 3 an elevation, showing how card is insertedinto or removed from the case; Fig. 5 is a perspective view illustratingone means for reinforcing orstren-gthening the suspension portion of thecard; F ig.

6 is a perspective viewillustrating a hanger for attachmentto a card orother object for the purpose of suspendin the same; Fig. 7 is aperspective View ilustrat-ing a clip for use in connection with saidhanger; Fig. 8 is a perspective view illustrating said hanger and clipin engagement with each other; Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a specialform of folder constituting part of my invention; Fig. 10 is aperspective view of the pocketed receptacle embodying my in-\'ention,.the receptacle being shown in the open condition; Fig. 11 is aperspective view of the same as it appears when closed and fastened,this view showing the side oppo-' site to that shown in Fig. 10; Fig. 12is an enlarged perspective view ofthe hanger employed in connection withsaid pocketed receptacle; Fig. 13 is a perspective view illustratingmeans where y 'anordinary form of paper file is adapted for suspensionin a case or cabinet in accordance with my invention; Fig. 14 is aperspective view illustrating a special form of detachable hanger inaccordance with my invention;

' Fig. 15 is a perspective view illustrating the rearside of the same;16 is a view illustrating a different arrangement of index tabs for thecards from that represented in .is a longitudinal rod 3 suitably securedto Fig. 1, and Fig. '17'is a perspective 'view illustrating a brace forpreventing the suspension rod from sagging when it is exceptionally longor has an exceptionally heavy load. Y Y

In the drawing, 1 represents a case, cabinet, drawer, or other suitablereceptacle (hereinafter, for convenience, referred to as a case)constructed of wood, metal, or other desirable material and having someform of folding or removable lid 2, so asto permit ready access totheinterior of the case. Near the upper portion of this case the ends ofthe case so as to prevent it from turning, this rod being ofsemicircular or'other oblong cross section so as to pre sent a longerand shorter axis, the case also having two other longitudinal rods 4 and5 for a purpose described hereafter, or instead of using both of theserods either may be used to the exclusion of the other.

When the card or other object to be placed in the case is of sufiicientthickness or strength it may be suspended directly from the rod 3'byforming ln'it an opening 6 of a diameter equal to or slightly exceedingthe longer axis of the rod 3, this opening communicating at the topwitha slot? which, where it communicates with'the opening, is of a widthequal toor slightly greater than the shorter axis of the rod 3 so thatthe card or other object can be readily introduced into the case byholding it'in the position-shown in Fig. 4. and appl ing it to the rod 3which can thus pass t rough the slot 7 and into the opening 6, the cardbeing then permitted to drop into the position shown in Fig. 3,so thatthe longer axis of the rod is presented to close the inner end of theslot'7, the rtions ofthe card on either. side of Sci slot forming;shoulders for resting upon the rod and supporting the card thereon.

The card or other object is retained in its proper relation to the rod3, as shown in Fig. 3, by contact of the upper edge of one from anotherin order to permit access I to any particular one. A flat bar may,

of the rods 4 and 5 without materially interfering with the desiredfacility of separation of the cards.

In the event of the card or other object not being thick or strongenough to proride for its own support it may be pro vided with a hangersuch for instance as shown at 8 (Fig. 6) this hanger consisting of astrip" of suitable material, preferably sheet metal, having spurs orbarbs formed.

by bending its lower corners, as shown at 9, and also, if desired, bycutting and bending other portions of the strip, as shown for instanceat 10, these barbs passing through the material of the card. or otherobject and being bent down against the opposite face of the same so asto firmly secure the hanger in position. In this case, the opening 6 andslot 7 are formed in that portion of the hanger which projects beyondthe upper edge of the card, as shown in Fig. 6.

In some cases a folder may be used for containing a number of letters,cards, or other objects, and in such case one leaf 11 of the folder maycarry he hanger 8 and the other leaf 12 of the folder may be providedwith a clip 13 of sheet metal or other suitable material, secured tosaid leaf 12 by bent spurs or barbs 14 similar to those whereby thehanger 8 is secured to the leaf 11.

The material of which the clip 13 is com posed is bent at the upper endso as to form a hook 15 which is adapted to enter a pocket 16 on thehanger 8, said pocket being formed by slitting the hanger near the lowerend of the same and then bending out the material below the slit. By'this means the upper edges of the leaves of the folder will be securedagainst accidental release since it is necessary to lift the clip 13 andthe leaf 12 to which it is attached in order to engage the hook 15 withthe pocket 16 or to release it therefrom. As a means ofreadily-permitting such manipulation of the clip, incisions .are formedin the same on three sides of an opening l7 and the material whichformerl occupied said opening is bent and folded so i as to form aprojecting lug 18 to provide a convenient finger. hold for themanipulation of the clip.

When it is not desired to use'the hanger 8- and the material of the cardor other object to be suspended from the rod 3 is not sutticientlystrong to support it upon the rod the opening 6 and slot 7 may bereinforced in any desired way, as for instance, by applymg a segment 19of paper, cloth, sheet metal,

, or other suitable material, .to either or both faces of the card asshown in Fig, Ind-ex cards 20', such for instance as shown in Fig. 1,may, if desired, be used to sep arate'thc contents of the case 1 intogroups or sections and facilitate access to any par-v ticular group orsection, the index tabs being located either at the outer edges of thecards as shown in Fig. 1, or at the top of the same as shown in Fig. 16.

In order that the cards or other objects suspended from the rod 3 maynormally retain themselves in the proper position on the red thesuspension point is located closer to the rear edge of the card than tothe front edge of the same, as shown in Fig. 1, so that thepreponderance of weight will be in front of the suspension rod 3 and thecard or other object will therefore have a normal tendency to retainitself in position in the case, with its upper and rear edges in'contact respectively with the rods 4 and 5.

Instead of suspending individual cards or otherobjects from the rod 3the same may be confined in clips or files of any desired construction,and these clips or files maybe suspended upon the rod in the samemanner, as I have provided for the suspension of" the individualobjects. In Fig. 13 for instance I have shown an ordinary form of paperfile to which I have secured a hanger 8 having an opening 6 for thereception of the rod 3 and a contracted entrance 7* to said opening, theentrance being at the'side instead of at the top in order that thehanger may be applied to the rod sidewise and then drop slightly so asto engage the rod and move the opening 7 3 out of register therewith,thus necessitating the lifting of the file before it can be againremoved from-the rod. In this case it, is preferable to provide thehanger with projecting clip 21 for the reception of the index card 22.

\Vhen a folder is used it is preferable to provide the same at the innerend with a flap 23, as shown in Fig. 9, in order to prevent the contentsof the folder from dropping therefrom when said folder is up-ended inorder to apply it to the rod 3. When it is desired tosecurely confinethe contents of the folder-,I prefer to construct the same in thepocketed form represented in Fig. 10 and in order to confine the flap-24I provide a binding tape 25 which is secured at one end to one side ofthe folder, passes thence upwardly and through a slot 26 in the hanger,thence down on the other side of the folder, and around the bottom ofthe same, and thence upwardly, the free end of the tape being confinedby clips 27 on the hanger, as shown in Fig. 11. w 7

In manyinstances it may be desirable to remove a card, folder or otherreceptacle from the case .and carry it from place to place, in whichcase the presence of the hanger might prove to be objectionable and inorder to meet such a condition, I provide the detachable hanger shown inFigs. 14 and 15, the member which engages the rod 3 being secured to thecard or other object by means the card and bent down on and readilyapplicable and removable clips or fasteners. In this case it may beadvisable to reinforce that portion of the card or other object whichcarries the clips 28 as by means of a plate 29 of sheet metal or otheravailable material secured to the card or other object by spurs or barbs30 passing through of the same.

When the suspension rod 3 is of exceptional length or is likely to carryan exceptionally heavy load, it is advisable to provide support thereforat one or more points between its ends, as for instance by means of abracket 31 (Fig. 17) which is secured to any convenient portion of thecasing l, and has a depending portion engaging the rod 3 so as not tointerfere with the free movement of the cards along said red.

I claim:

l. The combination, in a filing system, of a suspension rod having alonger and shorter transverse axis, with a card to-be suspended from therod, said card having a member with opening of a size corresponding tothe longer transverse axis of the suspension rod, and a slot extendingfrom the opening to. the edge of the member and of a width correspondingto the shorter axis of the rod, whereby when the car is held in oneosition it can be applied to or removed from the rod but when permittedto assume its normal position will be confined to the latter.

2. The combination, in a filing system, of a suspension rod having alonger and shortertransverse axis, with a card having a member withslotted opening can be applied to said rod and suspended thereon, and arod or bar disposed to contact with thecard when it has assumed itsproper position of suspension on the rod, and to retain it in suchposition.

3; The combination, in a filing system, of

a suspension rod having a longer andshorler transverse, axis, and a cardhaving a slotted opening whereby it can be applied to and suspended uponsaid rod, said opening being so disposed that the portion of the card onone side of the same preponderates over that on the other side.

the opposite side hanger for application whereby it 4. The combination,in a filing system, of a suspension rod having a longer and shortertransverse axis, with a card to be suspended therefrom, said card havingsecured thereto a hanger with opening there in of a size correspondingwith the longer transverse axis of the suspension rod, and a slotcommunicating with said opening and of a' width corresponding to theshorter transverse axis of the rod.

5. The combination, in a filing system, of a suspension rod with afolder having one of its leaves provided with a suspension hanger forapplication to said rod and its other leaf provided with a clip forengaging said hanger and holding the leaves together.

6. The combination, in a filing system, of a suspension rod with afolder having one of its leaves provided with a suspension hanger forapplication to said rod and its other leaf provided with a clip forengaging said hanger and holding the leaves to gether, the hanger havinga pocket therein and the clip having a hook for entering said pocket.

7. The combination, in a filing system, of a suspension rod with afolder having one of its leaves provided with a suspension to said rodand its other leaf provided with a clip for engaging said hanger andholding the leaves together, said clip having a projecting finger piecewhereby it may be manipulated.

8. The combination, in a filing system, of a suspension rod having alonger and shorter transverse axis, and a folder having a member withslotted opening therein whereby it must be held in one position forapplication to the suspension rod and occupies another position whensuspended thereon, said folder having a flap for closing that end of thesame which is lowermost when the folder is held in position forapphcation to therod.

- In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, inthe presence'of two subscribing witnesses.

CLAUDE B. STILLVELL.

Witnesses:

\VM. L. GiotnLmoT, ARTHUR L. Ptmviss.

